RICHMOND — Eager to attract more visitors and generate more revenue for the city’s port, officials hope to relocate a World War II era ship to a more frequented part of Richmond’s marina.
The Red Oak Victory, staged in a basin in Richmond’s port, is one of the last known surviving ships built in the city during World War II. The floating museum is one of many sites from the era that honors Richmond’s contribution to the war effort.
Officials now hope to drive more visitors to the ship and some of its other sites by relocating the Red Oak Victory to an area they believe would have more synergy with other war era sites and public transportation.
“This relocation would place the SS Red Oak Victory in a more publicly accessible location, close to both the ferry terminal and the Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front National Historical Park Visitor Center,” staff said in a report to the City Council.
Relocating the ship would also free up the basin where it’s currently located for other commercial maritime uses that could generate revenue for the port, staff said. Revitalizing port operations to drive economic growth for Richmond has been a major focus point for city and port officials in recent years.
The idea for moving the Red Oak Victory was discussed during a rehabilitation project in August that saw modern day “Rosie the Riveters,” largely women working in the trades, volunteer their time and skills to repair the ship.
“If we put the Red Oak Victory over there with the Ford Plant, with all of that over there, that’s a shot for the people of Richmond, to see their legacy and that it’s still continuing,” SS Red Oak Victory Ship Director Mark Epperson said during the Victory Ship Revival effort.
But not all local officials and history buffs have bought into the idea of moving the Red Oak Victory. In a recent newsletter, former Mayor Tom Butt called the idea a “political football” for councilmembers who are interested in bringing the off-shore wind energy business to the port.
Relocating the Red Oak Victory would cost between $16 to $20 million, staff estimated, but the move isn’t guaranteed to increase visitors, Butt said. He argued that people who are willing to pay the $15 to $25 dollars to tour the 88-year-old ship would not be more encouraged to do so if it were staged in the marina.
Limited parking, storage and event space are also issues of concern, Butt said. He shared doubts the Bay Conservation and Development Commission would grant the permits needed to build a new dock for the ship in the marina.
Butt also notes that board members for the Richmond Museum Association, which owns the Red Oak Victory, have not voted on moving the ship. The association, port and U.S. Rep. John Garamendi are listed in the staff report as stakeholders the city has engaged with on the idea.
“With no money to fund a move, and the logistics of such a move making it at least five years in the future, probably more, the Richmond Museum Association should focus on maximizing revenue at the current location,” Butt said.
Fred Klink, marketing director for the Red Oak Victory, said Butt’s arguments “are simply not true.”
An official Richmond Museum Association endorsement is not required to move the ship, Klink said, but strong support for the idea, including among board members, is there, he added.
As for parking, Klink said their goal to drive more visitors would be supported by people who are either already visiting the Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front National Historical Park Visitor Center and parking in their existing lot or are using the ferry to get to the city. Regardless, the port’s pier development plans include adding parking spots, Klink noted.
“We have had several meetings with the port officials discussing specific design elements of the pier and we’re pleased with the design and find that it meets all of our needs for a better, more successful visitor facility than we currently have,” Klink said.
While the ship is beloved by some, Klink said getting to the Red Oak Victory from the visitor center “is neither easy, obvious nor convenient.” Since becoming marketing director for the ship in 2017, Klink said his biggest problem has been that people are unaware of the historic site or that it’s open to the public. He said he speaks to people from all over the Bay Area who have no idea about the Red Oak Victory.
“We’ve worked hard to change and it’s certainly better than it was in 2017, but we have a ways to go. Being in a new location right next to the ferry parking will certainly help,” Klink said.
District 5 Councilmember Sue Wilson, who represents the Richmond Marina, Richmond Museum Association President Karen Buchanan and Garamendi’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Plans to move the Red Oak Victory are still in the early stages with Richmond councilmembers slated to decide on whether or not to enter into a contract with the Oakland engineering firm Liftech Consultants for planning and design services during their Jan. 6, 2026, meeting.
City officials are eyeing major changes to Richmond’s port, specifically with an eye on green energy. Richmond was recently awarded a $750,000 grant from the California Energy Commission in December to help with drafting an Offshore Wind Conceptual Planning Project.
Nearly $230 million would be needed over a 10-year period to make other major infrastructure improvements like repairing failing beams, missing and damaged timber, sagging slabs and gaping holes in pavement, according to a city-commissioned study by infrastructure advisory firm Moffatt & Nichol.
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